Lost
by Hylander McLeod
Summary: They denied each other. He hid. She ran. But they denied just the same. Each other and themselves. It's too late now. Too late to fix the mistakes of the past. Too late for him. For her. For their happiness. It's too late


disclaimer- tragically I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Otherwise Mai would have let her be taken along with Jounouchi's. I wonder two souls one in card is that even possible? well bottom line Mai would return to Jounouchi instead of disappearing

gramer has been fixed. some more has been added to this fic.

* * *

**Lost**

Kujaku Mai stared at the envelope. She flipped it over once more, reading the return adress, before flipping it back and deciding whether or not to open it and reveal the contents. It was rather light, perhaps even too light. Exhaling, the blonde tossed the envelope onto the coffee table before trying to figure who would possibly know of her whereabouts now.

There was no name on the return adress. That was the one thing that made the woman feel somewhat uneasy about the whole thing.

Quickly she rummaged through her head, thinking of who could possibly have anything to say or give to her. She was sure it wasn't an invitation to another tournament. No the return address seemed much too simple for it to be that. Especially since she had just recently, recently meaning last week concluded a tournament, once again comming out on top.

It was different that time. No one mocked her skills afterwords or said anything about her not being the eliete. People had watched in awe and amazement, spectators and opponents alike of how her every victory, one to the next and so forth. Perhaps the fact that it was a differently stacked deck with new powerful cards. Well except for one.

The Seal of Orichalcos. The one card she chucked away along with that black scythe-shaped duel disc after getting released from the whole DOMA ordeal. It had been nearly five years since that time, the time she had swore to one day return after becoming a better duelist. like Valon. And Jounouchi.

A small gasp escaped from her lips. Of course. In the past few years she had heard of Yugi's on going success. Kaiba hadn't dueled as frequent and often, after all he had a business to run, yet she heard nothing about the young blond who risked his life for her again and again. The youth who had always looked out for her no matter how she treated him. Reaching for the envelope, she tore it open, without a second thought. Something fell to the floor.

She was shocked when she realized it was the Glory of the King's Hand card she had given Jounouchi back at duelist Kingdom. Her hands held the paper that also was in the envelope.

_Mai_

_I thought I should return this since he no longer could_

_-Akari-_

Had Jounouchi given up on her? And why did it say _he? _who was Akari?

She realized then of the promise she made herself. That she would one day return. To once again face him. Had she taken too long to do so? Had he found another?

Kujaku Mai knew what the blond was trying to say to her after Battle City. He was only sixteen then but she was no fool. She knew of what he wanted to say and why he couldn't. He didn't want to sound stupid.

At that time though, she was glad he didn't say anything. She herself was afraid of the same thing. Of falling for the obnoxious, loud mouthed blond youth who, despite his bad habits, had left such an impact on her. She ran. She ran because she wanted to prove she didn't fall for him.

One short hour later Kujaku Mai had booked the next flight to Japan.

* * *

"I don't know what to tell you Mai-san" Yuugi said softly. "No one knows where he is." 

She was rather distraught. "No one at all."

The twenty two year old man swallowed, before looking thoughtful. "Maybe Shizuka-chan. I'm pretty sure Kaiba-kun might have some idea."

"But none of you? Not Honda or Anzu?"

The tri-colored man shook his head. "We exchanged letters for a while. With Anzu going off to New York, and Honda into the miltary, it was the only way we could communicate. But recently no one seems to have heard from him."

The blonde woman nodded in affirmation. "He didn't mention anyone by the name of Akari did he?"

Once again the other shook his head.

* * *

Sitting in her hotel room, Kujaku Mai grabbed the phone that stood on the nightstand. She had managed to find how to reach Jounouchi. Yet now she was nervous. Nervous to even talk to young man who was her greatest and closest friend. Yet she couldn't understand. Her fingers trembled as she pressed the digits, maing her think back to the time of that duel where she couldn't call out her last attack, before running to him, calling his name and catching him as he was falling. 

She uderstood now. She had fallen for him. That's why she was so nervous now. The fear of knowing he had found someone else, that he couldn't forgive her. She struggled to suck it up and found the courage to press the last digit.

The line rang. She waited

* * *

"Moshi Moshi" 

She almost cried, hearing the ever familiar voice. "Jou?"

"Kujaku Mai?" she almost cringed at the formal use of her name "I thought this number was unlisted."

"I had some help." It was all she could say. She struggled to find her voice again. "Jounouchi I have to know something. What I did to you then, do you still hold that against me?"

"Mai, why would you think that? I never held anything against you, especiall that. You weren't yourself then."

She could hear the strongness of his voice, yet sense the wonder of why she thought he would blame her for that. "It's just that ... when I got that card - I spoke to Yuugi and he said you-" She sniffled holding back her tears. "Did you find someone else Jou, Is there another?"

"Mai, what's going on? What did Yuugi tell you?"

She had to say it say. "Jou I just want to know ... Who is Akari?"

Silence

* * *

He hadn't expected her to call. He was surprised when she did. Why now after all this time?

The last he saw of her, she was in spirit form returning to her body, where it may be, along with Valon. Since that time he hadn't seen or heard from her. He had heard of her success on the dueling stage in the years. He himself had retired, as it didn't feel the same anymore. Still, she had seemed to overcome her insecurities. Why hadn't she come back? Why didn't she return to him?

He thought the worst. That she found another. It was then he realized he should have told her. He should have told her that he had fallen for her. That he loved her. Sure he may have been rejected but at least he would know where they stood.

After 3 years he gave up on waiting. He shouldn't have. Because like him, she was struggling to admit the truth. She asked the question. The one he dreaded.What could he tell her? More importantly how could he tell her?

He had left that name in the ruins of the past hoping to escape the pain he was suffering. The pain he was sure would never leave. How was he to know she was wanted to see him again but couldn't find the strength.

He knew that she desreved the truth. He may not have wanted her to blame herself, but he had to be honest.

It was his turn now he struggled to find his voice. He found it difficult as he realized his deepest mistake. He shouldn't have given up on her. On himself. It was too late now.

His grasp on the phone tightened as he struggled to say those two words.

A tear dropped from his brown eyes. "I am."

* * *

"I am." 

Violet eyes widened when she heard the response. She nearly dropped the phone she was holding.

"You should have come back. You could have saved him."

Now the phone did drop. Tears fell from her eyes as she sank to her knees, realizing her deepest mistake. She said she would return one day but one day didn't come soon enough. It was too late now. Too late for them. Much too late.

On the other side of the phone a young man with sandy blond hair and a heavy heart put down his own receiver.

* * *

A different ending then my first one-shot of this couple, Faint Promise of Something. 

in case you don't get it, Jounouchi changed his identity because he was suffering from what he thought was unrequited love.

R&R


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